The queen falls in love
with Chach who becomes
the Ruler through her love.

The Brahman Chach was a young man with a beautiful
face and fair complexion. He was
of a tall stature, and well proportioned
with an argent person and ruby
cheeks When she looked at his handsome features and
cypress-like stature, she fell in love with him a thousand
fold with her heart and soul. She was fascinated and
infatuated, and was struck dumb by his beauty, his form
and his vesture. She was overpowered by his striking
delivery and marvellous handwriting; and love for Chach
obtained an abiding place in her soul, and the tree of
affection found a firm footing in the land of her heart.
The king had no offspring. The queen had no issue by
him. She therefore sent a message to Chach through a
cunning go-between in the following words:—“O Chach,
the arrows of your eye-lashes have pierced the target of
my heart and wounded it, and the chain of separation
from you has been fastened on my neck. You will there­fore
be kind enough to administer some medicine from
the dispensary of your union, and to remove the chain
from my neck with the hand of your society. Adorn my
neck and ears with the necklace of your love and with
the ear-rings of your devotion. If you will not comply with
my request, I shall kill myself. Quatrain—May it occur
to you to make this my heart happy and to free it from
the pangs of your separation. But, O beloved, if you
turn your face away from me, I shall raise a cry, that you
are doing injustice to me.”

When the old woman delivered the above message
Chach expressed his abliorrence, and thought it proper to
reject the proposal. “Disloyalty,” said he, “in the seraglio
of monarchs means (immediate) danger to life, punish­ment
in the next world, and a bad name in this world.
When the wrath of kings reaches its climax, it cannot be
checked or resisted with any screen or any medicine.
Therefore, let this alone. We, moreover, are Brahmans
and my father and brother are ascetics, and are still sitting
in their praying place resigning every thing to God. I
do not approve of such infidelity. I am in the service of
the king, and I should live between hope and fear. Such
a thing is disapproved by wise men. One should not
place any confidence in four things, viz., a sovereign, fire,
wind,*
and water. I would not bring this contempt on
my head. You will never gain this object from me.”

When this message was brought to the queen, she
became calmer and quieter and sent back the follow­ing
reply:—“If you shrink from familiarity and
intimacy with me, at least give me my due by
showing your face to me every day, in season and out of
season, so that the thought of your beauty may
remain fresh in my mind and I may console myself by
cherishing hopes of your union with me. Verse—Happy
shall I be if I see you year in and year out, or even if I
see you in imagination one single night in the whole
period of my life. O my idol! I shall never be despondent
in thinking of you; I shall see at least the night of your
union one day.”

When the eye began to play its part in the affair, and
the heart was seized with (desire for) union of the
beloved, a sympathy ultimately sprang up between them,
which reached its consummation in morning meetings;
and their love and intimacy increased beyond measure,
and was confirmed by a solemn compact of permanent
union. The king had no knowledge of their relations.
There was indeed a party of their opponents who
entertained evil suspicions regarding them, from the
glances of the two, but as no one had observed anything
(more suspicious), their secret was maintained. Some
of the (said) enemies did inform the king and divulged
(all that they knew), but he refused to accept their word,
(saying) that such things were not likely to happen at
his palace, and that the Chamberlain Chach was not
likely to allow himself to be so ungrateful or do such an
iniquitous thing.

Thus, in the course of time the entire kingdom came
under the sway of Chach. Whatever he did was to the
liking of the king, and king Sáhasi Rái did not dispose
of any important business without first consulting him.
In this way, every order issued by Chach, whether positive
or prohibitive, came to be strictly obeyed throughout the
dominion.

The passing away of
Sáhasi Rái from this world.

At length, the divine decree burst into light from the
curtains of mystery. The king fell
ill, and his illness took a lingering
turn. (By and bye), the signs of death changed the face
of his life for the worse. The king's wife became very
anxious. She called Chach and told him:—“ The king's
life is about to come to its close, and the signs of the
cessation of his breath have already appeared. If the
king dies, there is no issue of his to inherit the kingdom.
His near relations, therefore, will secure all his property
and his country. There is no doubt that they will disin­herit
and distress me, owing to their estrangement (from
me). When even during the life-time of the king, they
called me ugly names, they will at such a time as this
deprive me of my life and property. One plan occurs to
me, and I think it will turn out the right one, and if it is
so destined, our wishes will be perfectly gratified and this
kingdom will devolve upon you. My opinion is that, if
we show our courage, the great God will hand over this
kingdom to you, and its honour and glory will long remain
with you, and all the people will pay allegiance to you.”
Chach said: “I am ready to obey you with all my heart, and
whatever you propose must be very good. But it is a well­known
maxim that consultation with upright servants is a
duty. You must therefore acquaint me with what you
have in your mind.” Queen Suhandí said: “Issue an order
that fifty chains and fetters be made. Bring them secretly
at night, conceal them in the house and keep them ready
for use when required.” Accordingly, under the orders
of Chach, some heavy chains and fetters were made. They
were brought into the innermost apartments of the palace
under cover of night, and kept secure in a corner. When
the king's last moments arrived and the death agony ensued,
the physicians rose to leave. (But) Queen Suhandi asked
them to wait in the house for a short time. At the same
time, she directed a confidential servant to remove the
king to an inner apartment and to close the gate, so that
no one in the city should come to know that Sahasi was
dead. She then asked him to bring a large number of her
followers and dependents into the house. When these
men were all brought in, she ordered her servant to call
those near relations of the king, who were claimants to the
throne (and whom she named one by one). In this way,
every one was brought in separately, on the pretext that
the king was better that day and wanted to consult him.
When each came, he was sent to the appointed apartment
where the queen's confidential men put each into chains.
Thus, all of her rivals were imprisoned and secured in irons.
Next, she sent for those relations of the king who were
poor and in want. Each of these, as he came, was told:
“To-day, the king is annoyed with such and such a relation
of yours, owing to whose ill-treatment and misbehaviour
he did not sleep soundly, and has imprisoned him. If
you wish to be free from poverty and hunger, and acquire
strength by means of wealth and property, go to that
prison-room and remove the head of your enemy. Then
put yourself in firm possession of his house, his property,
his followers and his estates.” In this manner, every one
went to the room, and killed that relation of his who was
on bad terms with him, and made himself master of his
house, cattle, riches, and domestics. Thus, in one single
night, they (Suhandí and Chach) made all their troublesome
opponents the food of the blood-thirsty sword, and their
heart was at ease in regard to their enemies. No competi­tor
now remained in the kingdom to claim the inheritance.

Chach son of Seláij as­cends
the throne.

After the friendly followers and dependents were thus
pledged, and after the poorer chiefs
did the bloody work of the sword,
they ranged themselves in a line
in front of the palace, and stood there ready with their
arms. All the merchants and the artisans, the plebians
and the nobles (were also) brought by them, and the royal
throne was well adorned. Then queen Suhandi came be­hind
a curtain, and sent the following message to them
through wazir Budhiman: “Speak to the peers and
nobles of the State and convey to them the wishes of their
sovereign. Tell them that, though His Majesty is much
better and his illness is fast disappearing, still owing to
the shock caused, by (the recent) vindictive disturbance,
he is unable to come to the public audience hall, and the
affairs of the people, high and low, rich and poor, who
have not received justice, will remain pending. He is
therefore pleased to appoint the Chamberlain Chaeh, in
his life-time, as his vireg??ent to carry on the ad­ministration
in his name, so that no mischief may
find its way into the country, owing to injustice
done to the people, whose destinies have been com­mitted
to his care by the Creator.” (Hearing these
words), all those who were present bent low respect­fully
and rubbed their heads on the ground, and said with
one voice: “We are ready to obey the command of the
king. The Chamberlain Chach is in every way qualified
for such a great office, and possesses many good qualities
and virtues, as he has already put the State affairs on a
firm footing.” Then queen Suhandí Devi presented
costly dresses of honour, adorned with ornaments inlaid
with jewels, to a thousand of her faithful dependents and
friends, who were among the heads of tribes and leaders
of armies. At the same time, she placed the crown of
the country on the head of Chach, and seated him on
the throne. The whole assemblage felt much gratified, and
bound themselves to do the service required of them. She
then ordered the wazir to be elected anew for the same
post, and the chief officers were encouraged in their
faithful service with plenty of rewards. New orders about
the grant of estates were (also) passed in favour of
several nobles. And thus the whole kingdom rested en­tirely
on Chach for its administration.*

Six months elapsed in this manner. After that period,
the news of Rai Sáhasi's death coming to the ear of his
brother Maharat, the king of Chitór, the latter prepared
an expedition, and with a large army and followers, and
furious elephants, and brave warriors, marched out to fight
with Chach. He encamped within a league of Alor, and
sent a number of his private servants and favourite
domestics to Chach with the following message:—“ I
am the rightful heir to this kingdom, and this country
is the property of my fathers and grandfathers. It
is but right that I should have for my own my brother's
heritage: to you that same post of chamberlain and lieute­nant
will be awarded, and every endeavour will be made
to trent you liberally.”*